Additional Information

Type

Enemies

Missing: MikelMy true-born brother, Mikel, is missing. Anyone who finds him or at least finds out what fate has met him will be generously rewarded - and I'll slip a good word to the baron about you as well.

Contents

On encountering the bulletin's author, Bruno, inside the Inn at the Crossroads, Geralt can learn of how Bruno's brother, Mikel, took it on himself to care for several women that were displaced when the war with Nilfgaard destroyed their village. Bruno will tell Geralt that Mikel went to an old mine in the northeast to provide shelter for the refugees, in defiance of Bruno's pleas to stay out of the situation. Geralt will have the chance to haggle the fee for this mission up to a little more than 310 crowns, if he so chooses. Bruno will insist that Geralt return his brother alive, which will cause Geralt to remark that it's unlikely considering the creatures known to inhabit the mine. Bruno will become offended at this before dismissing Geralt to his task.

Outside the mine Geralt will find some blood marks, and monster tracks that appear to have been made by several limbs leading into the mine. Follow the tracks and go down the ledder into a floodded area. Heading east (left) onto dry land, the tracks can be found again, and following them leades to a few loot boxes, and eventually the tracks split (fork).
Following the trail to right side will circle back to the initial ladder. The only interesting thing, is a room with loot and in upper part of the room you can find a farmer's wife who will ask Geralt to avenge the dead and that Mikel's brother will give him reward. In the same place there is a lever which can be used to lower the bridge, after which the farmer's wife will escape the mine. If the farmer's wife is not interacted with before killing the monster, she will not be present to interact with later. This, however, does not have any effect on the outcome of quest.
Follwoing the trail towards left side (from the fork), go through a submerged passage which contains chests featuring several useful materials. On the other side, Geralt will encounter 4 arachasae egg clusters and decides that the eggs must be destroyed with Igni or Yrden It is highly advisable for him to do this in preparation for the conflict that is to come. In the middle of the room there are some digestive fluids, which will heva e scent trail after interaction. The trail goes into the pool next to the eggs. Follow this underwater tunnel to another room, where there are four more eggs to be destroyed and a hatchling. Dive back and in the next room from digestive fluids, there are four more eggs to be destroyed. At the end of the egg chamber is a large, musky domain inhabited by Harrisi, a giant venomous arachas queen. Also present will be a number of young arachasae hatchlings, who will spawn throughout Geralt's fight with Harrisi if he has neglected to destroy the eggs in the previous rooms. Here, tragically, Geralt will also find Mikel and all his companions dead. A number of loot boxes can also be found here.

Harrisi is a very dangerous insectoid and Geralt should not contemplate fighting it until he is well equipped with the best available swords, armor, and alchemy products. Examples of substances that are most useful are, obviously, Insectoid oil and the best known recipe of Tawny Owl. Golden Oriole can also help counter the venom of the Arachas. Harrisi will quickly overwhelm even a well-equipped Geralt if he does not maintain his Quen shield and stagger/damage her over time with Igni, so stamina regeneration will be important. Harrisi will initially hang back while her children attack Geralt. Once the witcher has dispatched the first round of young insects, who will hopefully no longer be a factor if Geralt took the proper precautions, the queen will begin to attack directly. She will rely on her highly toxic fangs and claws, as well as three special abilities: Pulling Geralt into her reach with a rope of webbing, poisoning the room with the venom sacs growing on her back, and shooting Geralt with a high-speed volley of deadly saliva.

During the struggle, make sure to maintain Geralt's quen shield to protect against the saliva. Every other opportunity of full stamina should be taken to blast the queen with Igni. This will stagger her, possibly causing residual fire damage and clear the area around her of poison, giving Geralt space to maneuver and go to work with his silver sword. It is somewhat possible to kite Harrisi around the chamber and into damaging Yrden traps with the right spell abilities, relying on short-range Igni blasts and the occasional crossbow bolt to wear her down. Axii and Aard should be avoided as their utility is low in slaying the insect.

Eventually Harrisi will collapse and Geralt will take its trophy and navigate back out of the mine. His troubles for this day will not yet be over; back at the inn, Bruno will take the news of his brother's death very hard and refuse to pay up, arguing that Geralt was required to return Mikel alive (the bulletin had clearly said a person who "at least finds out what fate has met him" would be compensated). Geralt can appeal to the man's recognition of how Geralt risked his life, which will earn the witcher no more than 1/3 of his previously agreed pay or, if Geralt is skilled with Axii, Bruno will prove very susceptible and pay the full sum. Otherwise, Geralt will denounce the cheat and observe that Mikel was a better man for his selfless care for others, before walking away empty-handed.

Though Geralt had plenty of other worries, he had not forgotten about his trade – which is, let I remind you, slaying monsters. While striving to practice his profession he cam across a contract offering an altogether attractive sum in return for tracking down a certain missing individual. No mention of monsters, true, but Geralt had seen enough incidents of its like to suspect one might turn up – and besides, when it comes down to it, coin is coin...

In my experience, mines either hold precious metals or (more frequently) deadly monsters. The latter, in the form of arachasae, were present in great abundance in the Velen pits. Geralt knew he had to annihilate them for good - meaning he had to kill the female and destroy all the eggs she had lain.

Arachasae are incredibly dangerous beasts, but a witcher is not just some run-of-the-mill adventure seeker. In a bloody battle whose echoes could be heard throughout all of Velen, Geralt killed the old arachas queen and put an end to her vile line.